I Stand Alone
by MizFortune
Summary: PRSPD - Carter and his daughter Sydney were inseperable, but something happened that changed them both forever. Changed them for the worse. Sky/Syd
1. Change

I Stand Alone  
Chapter I: Change  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Not even a blade of grass in the PR universe.

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"I want to be an SPD officer, just like you, Daddy!" a five year old Sydney Drew-Grayson told her father, Carter Grayson, the first ever SPD Blue Ranger.

Carter chuckled as he picked his daughter up and swung her around the air. "Princess, if you're determined enough and you work hard for it, you'll be able to do whatever you want."

Syd laughed merrily, waving her hands sideways and kicking like a frog, pretending to be swimming, as her father swung her round and round.

Then, something happened. Something that changed their lives forever.

Carter put his daughter down and frowned at the sound of his beeping morpher. "Carter here." he said to his wrist-held morpher.

"Carter, we need your help. Gruumm's attacking." the voice of Wes Collins, the SPD Red Ranger's voice came in. "It's bad."

"Sorry, kid." Carter told his daughter sadly as he signed off. "Duty calls." he then knelt down and pinched Syd's cheek affectionately. "Go back to your mother, okay?" he told her, smiling. "I'll be back soon."

Syd nodded, and then kissed her father on the cheek before running the short distance from the park to their house, where she told her mother, Dana Grayson, how proud she was of her Daddy, and that she would becaome a Power Ranger like both of her parents someday.

"That's nice, sweetie." her mother agreed, distractedly. _I just hope your father comes out of this safely_, she thought.

* * *

It was a day since then, and Carter still wasn't back, and Dana was beside herself. He had not eaten, smiled, nor slept. He'd never taken this long before.

"Please, Mommy, stop being such a worrywart." Syd told her mother, quoting Carter. "Daddy's going to be back soon."

Even Dana had to smile at that, despite the situation. Sydney was always so optimistic. She wished she could go back to being more like her daughter, but her Ranger days had taken most of her optimism. Still, Dana forced a small smile for her daughter.

"Thank you, Syd."

A couple of hours later, the doorbell rang, and Dana sprung up from the chair she was sitting upon and opened the door in one swift motion, expecting her husband to be at the door.

Instead, she saw her friend Wesley Collins-Tate before her, his face half-hidden, looking at the ground. Dana wasn't fooled, and knew that Wes had been crying.

"What's wrong, Wes?" she asked. "Where's Carter?"

"Dana," Wes answered after a minute, "He's.....he's dead." Wes stepped aside to let his other teammates, Danny, Aisha, and Jarrod, carry Carter Grayson's cold and unmoving body towards the door.

"No!" Dana cried, not bothering to stop her tears from falling. "Carter! CARTER!" she shouted, hugging the dead body close to her.

Syd watched all of it from behind her mother. She was confused. Why is Mother crying when Daddy's home? Why isn't Daddy laughing or smiling, or even hugging Mommy?

"Mommy, is Daddy okay?" Syd finally asked. Her mother and Carter's teammates stopped crying, too. Everything went still.

"Honey, Daddy went away to...Heaven." Dana explained. "See, he replicated himself so that we could have one just like him here while he was gone, but it didn't turn out right, and now we won't be seeing him for a long time."

Syd nodded, understanding. "I'll send him a letter. What's Daddy's address in Heaven, Mommy?" she asked innocently.

"I don't know, Honey." Dana whispered. "But I'm sure he'll write to us soon." she lied.

But she hasn't been the same since.

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Just wanted to have a Sky/Syd story. Review, please?


	2. Friend?

I Stand Alone  
Chapter II: Friend?  
Disclaimer: You guys know the drill.

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A couple of years had gone by, and Sydney grew up to be a very beautiful 10 year old. Her curly hair was as luminous as gold, matching her heart. She was very athletic, and, despite her unusual talent, is loved by almost all she knows.

While playing lightball with her PE class, a remarkable thing happened.

"George, you're out!" Coach Allb called out. "Great job, Syd!"

Sydney smiled, but that quicly turned into a frown when George came up to her. "Freak." he said. "Stupid."

Tears began to well up in Syd's eyes, as George continud with his teasing. "Dumb blonde girl, you still think your Dad's alive. He's not. He's dead._ DEAD_. D-e-a-d."

Coach was about to restrain George from doing something worse when a boy wearing a blue T-shirt stepped between Syd and the bully. He waved his left arm in a circular motion and dared George to come any closer. When he did, George was knocked down by some invisible force. By then, Coach Allb had gotten in control of the situation and was helping Geoge up and escorting him to the principal's office, scolding him with each step.

Syd's classmates the scattered, knowing that it was free time. The boy in blue was turning to leave when Syd pulled him back.

"Thank you." she said through her tears. "You didn't have to do that."

"But I did." he replied. "Now, please leave me alone." he told her, walking away.

Syd, annoyed, followed him. _How dare he save my life and not expect me to thank him?!_, she thought. Of couse, she couldn't say that out loud. She plastered a smile on her face. "I can't do that until I've thanked you properly, you know."

"Please don't. I don't need another reminder of what happened to my father."

"Your father? What are you talking about?"

"My father is in Heaven, just like yours."

"Oh." Syd whispered. "Oh. Well, I guess we have that much in common, don't we?" she asked sadly.

"That's where our smiliarities end." the boy replied.

"Wait!" Syd called, and the boy turned around. "At least let me know your name."

"Sky. Sky Tate-Collins."

"Collins? But that's Uncle Wes-"

"Yes. Your Uncle Wes, my father, is dead. He died only a few weeks ago." came Sky's slow reply.

"I'm sorry." Syd told him. She repeated it more times than anyone could count, crying and crying. "I'm sorry."

His pace slowed, allowing Syd to catch up with Sky. "Please understand, Sky. Stop trying to pull everyone else away from you."

"Is there a law that says I can't?" he asked bitterly. "Just leave me alone, Syd. This is none of your business."

"It is my business if one of my friends are going through things like this!" she cried. "Let me help you. I know exactly what you're going through, Sky. I'm going throught the same thing myself."

"Can you bring him back, then?" he shouted angrily. "_Can you bring my father back to life, Sydney?!_" When she didn't answer, he said, "I thought so." and walked away, leaving behind a caring and kind friend, tears in her eyes.

"No." she whispered, her answer too late. Only the wind heard her.

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Thanks for the reviews on the first chapter, people! You guys rock!

Now how about reviewing the second chapter, please?


	3. Opporunity

I Stand Alone  
Chapter III: Opportunity

Sorry it took me so long to update this, but I misplaced *lost* my flash drive for a brief period of time *three months* , and...yeah...so...here it is!

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After that fateful day, Syd learned to get out of Sky Collin-Tates' way. He grew to be quite the school celebrity- the mysterious guy that sits by himself in the middle of the cafeteria, has a perfect GPA, the star of every club he was in, especially sports. Lightball, specifically. He's won sectionals, regionals, and champs. All in all, he was the best in the nation.

It seemed he had everything. Everything except a friend. And to Syd, victory was meaningless is nobody was there to share it with. And though she avoided him, deep down, she felt sorry for him. She knew he was still upset by what happened to his father, about 7 years ago.

The thing was, she wanted to help him, but she knew that Sky didn't want to be helped. She didn't know how to get through to him, so nothing could be done.

But one day, a piece of information came to her, and it changed everything: Schuyler Tate was recruited to be a Ranger trainee at the SPD Academy. Syd saw this as a window of opportunity- she had also been selected to be on D-Squad; it was the perfect time to get through to Sky, but not just yet. She can wait until next week to do so...

"Hey there," a boy in green greeted. "Want some toast? It's buttery," he asked, wiggling his fingers in front of his mouth at the word 'buttery.'

"'Buttery?'" Syd asked, imitating the boy's actions, a small smile on her face.

"Yeah. Buttery," the boy answered. There it was again.

"Alright, alright. I'll take one." the boy smiled even brighter[Syd didn't think that was possible, but it happened.] She patted the spot next to her, and the boy sat.

"So, what's your name?" she asked him in between bites. "You know, this is really good."

"It's Bridge," he answered, biting into a piece of toast himself. "And thanks. But my grandma made better. She used to make me really big stacks of them, and I'd eat them all. She'd always laugh when I asked for more. 'Where do you put all that toast, Bridge?,' she's say. I'd just smile even more and ask her when she'll make more," Bridge replied, saying everything in one breath.

Syd, miraculously understanding every word, asked, "What happened to her?"

"She died about a year ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Bridge. I really am. I know how it feels," she condoled, patting him om the shoulder.

"Thanks, um..?"

"Syd. Sydney Drew," she said, shaking Bridge's hand. "You know, you're really fun to hang out with. I mean, you look like this spontaneous, thoughtful, and weird guy, in the best possible way."

"Thanks, Syd. And you don't seem like a diva, like, all spoiled and rotten, as I've heard around here," Bridge replied.

Syd scoffed. "I hate stereotypes," she said, finishing the last of her third piece of buttery toast. "Hey, have you seen someone named Sky Tate around?" she asked.

"What, tall, brownish blond hair, mysterious looking, broods all the time?" Bridge asked. Syd nodded. "Oh, he's my roommate."

"Really? That's great!" Syd beamed. "Now, I can-" she stopped, as another person had entered the room.

Sky Collins-Tate, already in his blue D-Squad jumpsuit, his arms crossed out in front of him. "Sydney?" he asked, sounding very confused indeed.

The girl in question looked away.

It was going to be a long first day.

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Again, my apologies for not updating sooner.

Review to let me know if this made up for it.


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